Policy

Policies are one way funders, publishers and institutions are encouraging and requiring data sharing. Many agencies require research data produced as part of a funded project to be made publicly available, and many have instituted requirements for data sharing and formal data management plans,

Government

Government strategies and policies for supporting data sharing and access. In order to promote open access to research data, many government funding agencies require research data produced as part of a funded project to be made publicly available. Many agencies have instituted requirements for data sharing and formal data management plans, including NSF, NIH, NEH.

Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) – Many of the policies and initiatives regarding data came out of the OSTP. The OSTP Blog was good to follow and the Resource Library had many useful documents.

Sage Connection had a webinar that explained SHARE and CHORUS as methods for fulfilling the requirements of the OSTP memo. Speakers from the two groups answered questions afterwards, and the answers are available here. The page includes a link to the webinar as well.

Journals

Journals’ policies for making data available to readers. Publishers may have specific requirements regarding the availability and retention of data that supports conclusions they publish.

Joint Data Archiving Policy – A policy supported by many journals requiring that as a condition for publication, data supporting the results in a paper should be archived in an appropriate public archive.

Institutions

Institutions are also implementing policies for research data management infrastructure across the entire research data lifecycle. Institutional policies and procedures might include guidelines, protocols and standards for good research data management. It is important to look into your organization’s policies around data.

Retention of and Access to Research Data – Example Institution Data Policy from New York Univeristy. Also information on how to go about making an institutional data policy and examples of institutions with data policies.

Advocacy

Starting the Conversation: University-wide Research Data Management Policy (2013) – OCLC report summarizing the benefits of systematic data management planning and identifying campus stakeholders and their concerns. This report is targeted for library directors and encourages them to proactively discuss data management and points to cover to get buy-in among campus stakeholders. The report also offers points that need to be addressed and a checklist of issues.

Implementing an Open Data Policy (2013) – A primer developed by SPARC for research funders. Addresses key issues that these organizations encounter when considering the adoption and implementation of an open data policy.

The Health Research Alliance (2013) – A group of critical, private research funders has moved quietly and steadily to make U.S. federal policies to ensure the results of scientific research are openly accessible online a reality. The Health Research Alliance, a group of 52 not-for-profit, nongovernmental funders of health research and training - including the American Cancer Society, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and Autism Speaks - has made provisions to encourage its members to implement strong policies to make articles that report on the research that they fund openly accessible online to the public.